Sky Season Preview: Brighton

[Kinky Gerbil]

Maybe they know something we dont.

 

[Bluejuice]

Well he's Argentinian and we've spent lots of money (comparitively) on him.

I would argue our key man is in fact Leon. He's had a good pre season and he finished last season looking more the player we enjoyed back in the old Division 2. If he's back to his scoring best he can lead the attack and there'll be less pressure on our defence. The fact that he has some proper support this time, in the form of 3 professional strikers, can't be a bad thing either.

 

[LANGDON SEAGULL]

We are always going to be the rational pick for the drop because the perception is we have the most unfancied squad on the lowest wages.

But I fully expect us to be safe long before May because:
1) we have a brilliant manager.
2) nearly every one of our players, young and old alike, has been through a tough Championship campaign and through that experience are much more battle-hardened and aware of what it takes to win games in this league.
3) we have added to our squad better quality than we were able to last season - it's been a very long time since we spent £200,000+ on players.
4) we will get Blayney and him and Kuipers is a step forward from last season's Kuipers and x many loan keepers.
5) Our midfield is much better as Hammond and Reid have developed superbly and Chippy/Oatway have found their feet in the league, and we could have some nice suprises ahead of us in terms of loan players eg that Rangers guy.
6) Our attacking options are light years better than last year's Plan A, B and C of stick the talented defender up there - one of our hundred grand signings ain't even guaranteed a place.
7) Our defence is a good mix of experience and young legs, with Butters and the hugely classy Dodd shepherding the Man U tyro, El Abd and Hinsh (who might be back earlier than December).
8) The team from October will be playing on the incredible high of a Falmer stadium victory.
9) And did I mention we have the best manager in the league.

The league is tougher but we are a much tougher, much more quality team than last season.

Yeah right, LI

 

[Basil Fawlty]

We are always going to be the rational pick for the drop because the perception is we have the most unfancied squad on the lowest wages.

But I fully expect us to be safe long before May because:
1) we have a brilliant manager.
2) nearly every one of our players, young and old alike, has been through a tough Championship campaign and through that experience are much more battle-hardened and aware of what it takes to win games in this league.
3) we have added to our squad better quality than we were able to last season - it's been a very long time since we spent £200,000+ on players.
4) we will get Blayney and him and Kuipers is a step forward from last season's Kuipers and x many loan keepers.
5) Our midfield is much better as Hammond and Reid have developed superbly and Chippy/Oatway have found their feet in the league, and we could have some nice suprises ahead of us in terms of loan players eg that Rangers guy.
6) Our attacking options are light years better than last year's Plan A, B and C of stick the talented defender up there - one of our hundred grand signings ain't even guaranteed a place.
7) Our defence is a good mix of experience and young legs, with Butters and the hugely classy Dodd shepherding the Man U tyro, El Abd and Hinsh (who might be back earlier than December).
8) The team from October will be playing on the incredible high of a Falmer stadium victory.
9) And did I mention we have the best manager in the league.

The league is tougher but we are a much tougher, much more quality team than last season.

LI your a total nutter.

 

[London Irish]

I also think that the prediction of finishing 23rd as off the mark. If we got 51 points last time round, I would expect us to get 54-55 this time round, which will probably finish us 18th-19th..

Why? We had sold in Adam Virgo the player most responsible for keepig us up the previous year. We were never able to replace his goals or his inspiration.

 

[London Irish]

We are always going to be the rational pick for the drop because the perception is we have the most unfancied squad on the lowest wages.

But I fully expect us to be safe long before May because:
1) we have a brilliant manager.
2) nearly every one of our players, young and old alike, has been through a tough Championship campaign and through that experience are much more battle-hardened and aware of what it takes to win games in this league.
3) we have added to our squad better quality than we were able to last season - it's been a very long time since we spent £200,000+ on players.
4) we will get Blayney and him and Kuipers is a step forward from last season's Kuipers and x many loan keepers.
5) Our midfield is much better as Hammond and Reid have developed superbly and Chippy/Oatway have found their feet in the league, and we could have some nice suprises ahead of us in terms of loan players eg that Rangers guy.
6) Our attacking options are light years better than last year's Plan A, B and C of stick the talented defender up there - one of our hundred grand signings ain't even guaranteed a place.
7) Our defence is a good mix of experience and young legs, with Butters and the hugely classy Dodd shepherding the Man U tyro, El Abd and Hinsh (who might be back earlier than December).
8) The team from October will be playing on the incredible high of a Falmer stadium victory.
9) And did I mention we have the best manager in the league.

The league is tougher but we are a much tougher, much more quality team than last season.

Not ashamed of any of that, I always look forward with optimism in hoping that a best-case scenario situation will occur

What didn't work out on that above list was the player we bought in to replace Virgo, Turienzo, didn't produce, we lost the inspirational Oatway from our midfield at a crucial stage, our chase for loan signings or another forward to replace the mostly injured Turienzo wasn't successful in time, and Dodd wasn't around to help any of the younger players.

Even despite all those things going wrong, we would have still survived if we had got Gifton Noel-Williams a few months earlier. He turned us into a team capable of winning games and beating the drop. Too bad, we've had our run of bad luck this year and it will change next season when we will be fighting on more of a level playing field with other teams

 

[Publius Ovidius]

back track alert

 

[London Irish]

back track alert

Best laid plans of mice and men Desiree. If it all worked out, what would be the point of going to matches?

 

[Publius Ovidius]

couldn't have said it better myself Oirish

 

[Parson Henry]

couldn't have said it better myself Oirish

Its so luvverlee when you two kiss and make -up

 

[Silent Bob]

Why? We had sold in Adam Virgo the player most responsible for keepig us up the previous year. We were never able to replace his goals or his inspiration.

We sold the replacement for his goals.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

We sold the replacement for his goals.

Elphick??

 

[Lawro's Lip]

Oh those happy days of sunshine and optimism last August.

Oatways injury was bad luck. The Falmer 'decision' which has just prolonged the uncertainty means funds have had to be held back to deal with the continued fight for the new ground.

The money spent on Turienzo seems the biggest question mark about club decisions this year (DK or MM). Seems to me we blew a sum of money on an unknown gamble when it would have been better to have spent it elsewhere or saved to entice someone like GNW earlier in the January window.